Sad Trapped Rat Captures Zeitgeist Of An Anxious City

In the same way that Radiohead's seminal album OK Computer perfectly articulated the industrialized world's millennial unease, one Gothamist reader's photograph of a rat stuck in an Upper West Side sidewalk has become a universal metaphor for the pitfalls of urban living. We are all rats, trapped by the, um, race—until the city swallows us up and turns our death into a ridiculous website meme. Our inbox continues to pile up with submissions from readers around the world, who are immortalizing the poor rodent's passing with Photoshop.

And below, a YouTube montage of images set to original music, sent by one reader who writes, "Rips my damn heart out. This is gonna be like some 'Sorrows of Young Werther' shit. Masses of people jumping off bridges and squeezing into cracks and shit...."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on October 27, 2009 3:22 PM

Comments [rss]

gingerman

I hope when I get trapped in between a rock and a truck - that my body can be used for people to have fun at my expense too - it's the only thing I can give to the world.

Sadly a shark is probably gonna chow me down.

Stephen Matthews of Manchester England

Mr Mel

Enough with the rat.

Fritzdecat

zeitgeist?? I think they mean shitegeist

felixthecat2

Brian Durniak's rescue photo is cool.

valeriob

Sad rat made it's way onto Neatorama!

augustojr

Was on DIGG too

http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Possibly_The_Saddest_Thing_Ever_Rat_Stuck_In_Sidewalk

Joshua

http://homepage.mac.com/wugmump/racist-mouse.jpg

Gregoire

No hotstepper, the rat died. Hopefully somebody removed the body.

hotstepper

damn. i feel that it is a sad ending for a rat who brought so many people joy. kinda like santa.

NannyState

Santa's corpse was never removed. The smell is gone though.

jibbly

Scar-Jo photoshop wins, wins like a million times over. I feel like that little kid in Airplane that's praying and then a hot flight attendant drops down onto his bed and he says,"Thank you, god!"

Mr. Shankly

Pure gold.

hotstepper

so, photoshop fun aside, did anyone ever go and pop the rat out?

prattkidd

http://s606.photobucket.com/albums/tt147/prattkidd/?action=view¤t=yankees_rat.jpg

augustojr

Who said Yanks didnt have a mascot

SeasTooFarToReach

THE BEST!

(Poor rat. Went to the rat afterlife and became a city mockery... )

blueballs

sad rat : jds :: sad panda : jen carlson

valeriob

Dear Gothamist,

What happened to my sad rat panda photoshop (mspaint)?

:(

felixthecat2

I actually want to see it.

mzungu

there can never be too much sad rat.

Gothamist_Cynic

Whoever is doing these photoshops needs to learn to use the pen and feather tool better.

gingerman

Hi I used layer masks n 3D, n cloning, n painting etc I'm good ;)

WesleySnipesAlot

Gothamist,

I do not need to be constantly reminded of my own mortality, or of the fact that every living creature dies alone. Thanks.